Improvement in door locks and latches



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. VILSON, OF NASHUA, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN D-OOR LOCKS AND LATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2,123, dated April 11, 1841.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit. known that l, GEORGE W. WILSON, of Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door Locks and mtches, of which the following is a specifica- The said improvements, the principles thereof, and manner in which I have contemplated the application of the same by which they may be distinguished from other inventions of a like character, together with such parts orcombinations as I claim to be my invention and consider original and new, and for which I solicit Letters Patent, I have herein set forth in the following description and exhibited in the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, which, taken in connection, form chamfered or beveled oft similar to the com mon door-latch, so that when the said part is pushed against or is in contact with the side of the casing the force exerted on the inclined plane presses back the latch until the door is entirely closed,when the latch, being relieved, falls into the cavity or space or catch usually formed in the side of the casing, and thus confines the door in its place. The latch A B is suspended and vibrates on a pin at D, and the end C or arm B C is made somewhat thicker and heavier than the end A or latch A B, so that when left free it shall always fall into the position denoted in the drawing. E is the tumbler which raises the latch, and

. in which the shank of the knob is inserted.

This tumbler is formed and supported in the plates or sides of the lock in the usual manner. It has attached to it a weight F, which, acting like a pendulum, overcomes the friction of the bearings of the tumbler and weight of the knobs, so that when the hand is removed from the knob the weight F will always cause the tumbler to fall into the pon sition denoted in the drawing, vor in such manner as that the top 0, b of the same shall be' horizontal. Thus it will be seen that the operations of the tumbler and latch are entirely independent of each other, inasmuch as it does not require the weight of the arm B C of the latch to cause the tumbler to fall into its perpendicular position,this being effected by the weight F, attached to the same. At the same time the arm B C will fall down upon the top of the tumbler by the force of gravity and assist in bringing the top of the tumbler horizontal. No spring is required to operate the latch, as its weighted end C causes it to always fall upon the tumbler when the force exerted on the beveled part A of the latch is removed; but nevertheless a small spring can be used on the latch, if desirable and necessary.

It will be perceived that the above description embraces that part of the arrangement in my apparatus which serves to latch the door, and, inasmuch as it is intended to supersede the use of springs of any description, which are commonly, if not invariably, introduced into locks and latches, its advantages will be very apparent, as springs frequently get out of repair and become unfit for their intended purpose, Whereas the machinery above described would seldom, if ever, become deranged or damaged, and, compared with common locks, would last an extraordinary length of time. In order to cause the latch to operate as a bolt to fasten or lock the door, a guard or button c d is arranged behind the said latch in the position represented in the drawings. This guard has journals at one end c, playing loosely in suitable bear ings in the plates of the lock in the usual manner, by which it is kept in position, and by inserting any of the various kinds of keys in corresponding sockets formed in either of the journals of the guard, as represented at e in the figure, the guard c d maybe turned from its position (resting on the block f, which ing the latch to operate as a bolt.

called. The guard, it ,should likewise be observed, is operated without the assistance of any species of spring, the use of which in a lock, as has been before suggested, is very objectionable, and by avoiding which the lock is rendered much more useful and durable.

Plate 2, Figures l, 2, 3, and 4, represents some of my other improvements in locks and latches, where, instead of avertical,I use a horizontal tumbler beneath the latch, as shown at a', Fig. l, which exhibits the interior ofthe lock, Figs. 2, 3, and 4 being detailed views of some of the parts, Fig. 5 being a detailed view showing the chamfer or bevel of the catch of the latch. The latch b c diifers but little from that before described and represented in Plate l, the only variation being in the shape of the arm c and the angle it makes with the arm b', which, in lieu of being a right angle, is somewhat acute, the arm being` beveled a little at the angle, as shown at (Z. The tumbler a has suitable shoulders at the end e', which rest and turn in suitable bearings in the plates or sides of the lock. Proper handles may be connected to the ende of the tumbler on both sides of the door, by turning which in a direction from the casing the tumbler will gradually raise the arm c until the upper side of said tumbler is in close con-l tact with the beveled part CZ of the arm, and when this is the case the catch f is entirely disengaged from the mortise in the side of the casing and the door may be opened at pleasure. When the door is closed, it will readily be perceived that the weight of the tumbler will cause it and the knobs to return to their original stationary positions, while the weight of the arm c will cause the catch f to pass into or re-engage with the mortise in theA casing.

The above, it will be observed, describes only a variation in the lat-,ching apparatus; but in connection with this I use, instead of -a common guard or button, as before described and represented in Plate l, a dierent arrangement forfastening the door or caus- ,and above this latterthe arm c of the latch, .the joint weight of which, together with that of the arm h of the lever, serves to keep it down or cause it to descend when raised. A bolt Z rests and moves in guides mm nn and has a slot o and two square notches'p q, Figs. l and 3, in the former or latter of which a stud or projection r on the lever g h rests, re-

spectively, as the bolt is forward or back, in

the form er of which positions it bolts the door or contines the latch, and vice Versa when in This ar-` the latter. In order to fasten or unfasten the latch, I use a key constructed as :shown in Fig. 4, or in any other properA manner, so that when the key is turned either way the lower part s irst comes in contact with the lever g h at t and raises said lever when the projection u comes into or engages with the notch t in the bolt Z and presses it forward or back,

as occasion may require, in either of which eXtreme situations the stud o' falls intothe corresponding notch p or q and confines the bolt in position.

Figs. l to 11, inclusive, Plate 3, exhibit the interior of a lock with other improvements. A is the gravitating latch, and B the weighted tumbler, both somewhat varied in position and shape from thosev heretofore described. C is the main bolt, which is formed, as represented, detached from the other parts in Figs.

2 and 4, the latter being a front'` elevation, while the former is a rear View, of the same. Fig. 7 represents a top view, of the main bolt and other parts connected thereto. The lever D, (technically understood by this cognomen among locksmiths,) which is raised by one of the shoulders a a of the key, Fig. 9, as the main bolt C is thrown forward or drawn back, is represented in Figs. l, 3, and 7 as applied to the front of the bolt C, with its projecting stud b operating in a suitable slot c, Figs. l and `2, and as turning or moving up and down on a center pin (Z, Fig. l, projecting from the box of the lock through a slote in the bolt. 'Instead of this leverbeing formed like the bent lever g h, Plate 2, Fig. 2, it will be perceived that it is a rectangular plate of metal with a space e f g h z' k Z m cut out of the same, so that whenever the key is. inserted in the lock at the time the lever is down in its lowest position the projecting part b,

Fig. 9, of it will just pass by or over thelower portion h t' of the space e f g h t k Z m, Fig. 3. Therefore in attempting to withdraw the key from the lock, if the lever D is is not down, the side of the projecting part b, Fig. 9, of the key will come in contact with the rear side of the lever D below the lower part h t' of the space e f g Zt t k Z in Fig. 3 and prevent the removal of the key from the lock until the lever D falls low enough. Consequently the lowering of the lever and security of the bolt when thrown forward or drawncback are reudered certain by the withdrawal of the key. The slot c is similar in character and purpose to the slot o, Fig. l, Plate 2, with its square notches pq, as before described.

' My next improvement consists in applying to the rear side of the main bolt C another and smaller bolt E, shaped as seen in Figs, 6, and 7. The front partof this bolt is embedded and moves in the space F, Fig. 2, of the main bolt, so that their outer surfaces, or those in opposition with the side of the base, may be in the sam'e plane. When this bolt is thrown forward,its end projects beyond the main bolt, asrepresented in Figs. 6,7, and 11. It has a locking-lever Gr, Figs. 6, 7, and 8, (having a slot f, moving overa pin c, projecting from the side of the main bolt,) arranged so as to move or turn up and down upon a center pin 7L, Fig. 6, and raised by the notch 't' of the extra key, Fig. l0. This key is inserted in a small horizontal key-hole Z, Fig. ll, after the main bolt has been thrown forward into the space mot the door-casing and the key, Fig. 9, extracted, and by means of it (the extra key) the boltE is advanced, as seen in Fig. 11, and a part of it viz., n, Figs. 5, 6, and ll-brought directly in rear of the key-hole H, Fig. 11, so as to prevent the introduction of the key which operates the main bolt. A lever o p q, turning on a fulcrum 10, is suitably arranged within the door-casing and bearing upon the top of the bolt E, as seen in the drawings, and with the other arm p q on the exterior of -the casing, or in such manner as to have one end of a cord r r attached thereto, which cord passes over a grooved pulley t and has a weight u hung on its other end. The lower end of a cord s is tied to the cord r just above the pulley, the cord s leading to a bell suitably arranged, or any kind of alarm, which shall operate whenever the bolt E is drawn back so far as to pass by the end o of the lever o p q and suffer the weight tato drop down and pull the string s. Therefore from the above it will be readily seen that if a person attempts to pick a lock of this description it will be necessary for him first to retract vthe bolt E before he can introduce a key or other instrument through the key-hole H to draw back the main bolt. The instant this is accomplished the weight u drops and springs the alarm, giving notice to persons in the building or in the street, as the case may be,

that some' burglarious attempt is being made to force the door of the building.

Plate 4, Figs. l, 2, and 3, represents a peculiar apparatus for setting the alarm to be used instead of the lever o p q, Fig. 1l, Plate 3, Figs. l and 3 being vertical sections of the same, and Fig. 2 a View of the slide. The slide A, formed as represented in Fig. 2, has the cord r r, before described, or a spirals pring B, connected to it, the same being attached to the alarm. A rectangular hole ab c d, Fig. 2, and b d, Figs. l and 3, is formed through the lower part of the slide A. Spring-catch e, having a shoulder f and otherwise formed and arranged, as seen in Figs. l and 2, is applied directly in front of a small bolt K, with its shoulder f a little below the lower side of the bolt. Now when the slide is forced down by the finger applied to a knob' 7L the bottom of it strikes upon the top of the spring-catch c and presses the same aside or outward, while it shoots by until the opening a ZJ c d permits the catch to return over its lower part c CZ and confine the slide down, as represented in Fig.` l. This having been done, when the extra bolt E is thrown forward its end strikes against the top of the spring-catch, forcing it out the opening and permitting the slide A to rise a little until the bottom c d of its opening comes in contact with the lower side of the bolt, thus setting the alarm, as seen in Fig. 8, which is sprung by the withdrawal of the bolt E.

Having thus described my improvements, I shall now point out such parts or combinations therein as I claim to be my invention.

I claiml. A weighted or heavy tumbler, whether the same be arranged horizontally or vertically, constructed and disconnected from the latch,substantial1y as described, and so operating as to cause the tumbler and knob to return to a stationary position by the gravitating power of the former, and thereby Whenever the door is closed permit the latch to recede and advance independently of said tumbler and knob.

2. `The combination of said tumbler with the gravitating latch, as hereinabove set forth.

3. Combining with the main bolt of the lock another bolt to be operated by an extra key, the 'whole being constructed and arranged substantially in manner and for the purposes above set forth.

4. Constructing the holding-lever of the main bolt as represented in Fig. 3 of Plate 3 and as hereinbefore described, so as to render certain the fall of said holding-lever by the withdrawal of the key from the lock.

5. The peculiar apparatus for setting the alarm,as represented in Plate 4, consisting of the slide and spring-catch, to be used in connection with the extra bolt, and arranged and to operate substantially as above described.

In testimony that the foregoing is a true description of my said invention and improvements I have hereto set my signature this 7th day of May, 1841.

GEO. W. WILSON. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, EZRA LINCOLN, Jr. 

